To thoroughly enjoy your biking experience without any complications, it is important to remember a few general guidelines for bike safety. Whether it’s inspecting your bike and helmet before your ride, learning to share the road with motorists and other cyclists, or staying hydrated, every effort counts in ensuring a safe ride!
Inspecting Your Bike
Once you have purchased your bike, it is important to read the instruction manual carefully so you are familiar with all of the bike’s parts and functions. Before you hit the road or trail, inspect your bike to make sure all parts are in working order to avoid an accident. The League of American Bicyclists offers the “ABC Quick Check” list for making sure your bike is safe and ready to go:
- “A” is for air. Make sure tires are inflated to the pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire. Use a pressure gauge so it is easy to make sure you have the proper pressure. Inspect the tires for damage in the tread and sidewall, and make any replacements.
- “B” is for brakes. If the brakes have less than ¼ inch of pad left, they need to be replaced. Make sure the brake pads are balanced so they don’t rub on the tire or hit the spokes. Also make sure there is at least one inch between the bar and lever when the break is applied during travel.
- “C” is for cranks, chain and cassette: The crank bolts on your bike should be very tight. Lube the threads only – nothing else. Inspect your chain to make sure there is no wear – twelve links should measure no more than 12 1/8 inches. Check to make sure the chain doesn’t skip on the cassette – if it does you will need to get it adjusted, or purchase a new one.
- “Quick” is for quick releases: Make sure hubs are tight in the frame. The quick release should engage at 90 degrees. The hub quick release should point back to ensure that nothing catches on it. Inspect the brake quick releases to ensure they have been re-engaged.
- “Check” is for check it over: Go for a quick ride to make sure brakes are working properly. Check over the entire bike to see if there are any loose or broken parts that need to be tightened or replaced. When you leave for your ride, pay close attention during the first few miles for anything out of the ordinary.
Helmets
You always need to wear a helmet – no matter where you ride! According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, bike riders (even experienced, careful ones) crash every 4,500 miles on average. More than 800 people die per year from bicycle crashes – and 75 percent of those deaths are from head injuries. The simple step of wearing a helmet may prevent the chance of a head injury by as much as 88 percent. Although helmet use varies across different areas and sectors, the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute estimates that overall, only about 25 percent of cyclists consistently wear helmets.
Helmets work by softening the blow to your head when faced with a sudden impact. Most helmets are made with a thin plastic outer shell that helps it skid easily on rough pavement during a fall – to avoid jerking your neck. Underneath the shell is one of two types of foam. The first is expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which does not recover after being crushed; the second type is expanded polypropylene foam which does recover, but it spreads very slowly, sometimes causing an undesirable “rebound” effect. Both of these foams are hard. If you notice your helmet has spongy foam, it is for comfort and fit only.
When choosing a helmet there are various things you should look for to ensure quality and effectiveness:
- A smoothly rounded outer shell: Make sure there are no sharp grooves or snag points. If a helmet has a rigid visor, it can snag or shatter in the event of a fall.
- Bright colors: Because dark helmets can be hard to see for other cyclists or motorists, it is important to choose a helmet that is brightly colored or white to increase visibility.
- A CPSC sticker: Helmets made after 1999 must meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines, so look for the CPSC sticker.
- Ventilation: Coolness, ventilation, fit and sweat control are the most critical comfort needs. Helmets with large front vents provide air flow to help cool you down as you ride. However the more vents you have on your helmet, the more area your head is not completely covered. You may also want to use a brow pad or sweat pad to control sweating.
Once you have chosen a helmet using the criteria above, your next step is finding one that fits properly. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, you want a helmet that is not only comfortable all the way around your head, but also level and stable enough to resist even violent shakes or hard blows and stay in place. It is also important the helmet fits as low on the head as possible to maximize side coverage, with the strap snug (but comfortable) against your face and chin. Here are a few other factors to take into consideration:
- Make sure the helmet does not tilt back or sideways: The helmet should always remain level and should sit with the front just about your eye-brows. If you wear glasses, the front of the helmet should sit right above the frame of your glasses – high enough so the helmet doesn’t bump them when you ride.
- Use the fit pads: Most helmets come with at least one set of fitting pads which can be used to customize the shape. Pads can be removed and added until you find the perfect fit. Try to make the helmet fit with pads touching comfortably all the way around, without it being too tight.
- Adjust the straps: The chin strap should be snug against your chin, with the sides of the straps coming just below the ear. There should be no slack – the helmet should not be able to rock back and forth. Shake your head around and push up on the front of the helmet – if it fits properly, it should not move more than an inch.
Sharing the Road
Whether you are on a trail or on a busy road it is important to be aware of your surroundings and be courteous to other cyclists, pedestrians and motorists. The Minnesota Department of Transportation offers these seven “Rules of the Road” that will make sharing the road more safe and enjoyable:
- Bicycles are legal vehicles on all Minnesota roads, except freeways: As a cyclist, you have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists – including the right to operate in a traffic lane (when a designated bike lane is not present).
- Bicyclists should ride on the road in the same direction as traffic: It is illegal and unsafe to ride against/facing traffic. Bicyclists are discouraged from riding on sidewalks because there is greater potential for a collision with a pedestrian.
- Motorists must at all times maintain a three-foot clearance when passing a bicyclist: This is also true for bicyclists passing cars (including parked cars). When a motorist is overtaking a bicyclist, the bicyclist has the right-of-way.
- Bicyclists must obey all traffic control signs and signals, the same as motorists: This includes yielding the right-of-way to motorists.
- Motorists and bicyclists must yield the right-of way to each other equally: The failure of motorists to yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist, whether at an intersection or along a roadway, is one of the most common causes of bicycle/motor vehicle collisions.
- Bicyclists must signal their turns and should ride in a predictable manner: Bicyclists must use proper hand signals when turning left or right, or changing lanes. Riding predictably means riding in a more or less straight line, avoiding abrupt swerving motions. For a list of hand signals, click here.
- Bicyclists should always wear helmets: Properly-fitting helmets save lives and reduce injuries.
Hydration
Because water makes up about 65 percent of your body, and is responsible for keeping you cool, it is extremely important to stay hydrated, before, during and after you ride. According Curtis Cramblett, PT, CSCS, and Cycling Coach, fluid loss as little as two percent can lead to a decrease in performance. A fluid loss of six percent can send you to the hospital, needing an IV.
It is important to recognize the signs of early dehydration so you have enough time to get fluids in your system before the symptoms worsen. Signs of early dehydration include:
- Fatigue;
- Loss of appetite;
- Flushed skin;
- Sensitivity to heat;
- Lightheadedness;
- Dark urine with a strong odor.
If you recognize any of these symptoms it is extremely important to drink a lot of water or liquids with electrolytes to avoid further dehydration. If you experience any of these signs of severe hydration, head to a hospital immediately:
- Difficulty swallowing;
- Stumbling and clumsiness;
- Numb or shriveled skin;
- Delirium;
- Sunken eyes and dim vision;
- Painful urination;
- Muscle spasm.
To prevent dehydration, Cramblett offers these tips:
- Pack two big bottles on your bike, one with water, the other with an electrolyte drink. You can also use hydration packs for quicker and easier access.
- If you find you lose a lot of water weight during your ride, you should drink at least one liter of water per pound lost.
- Pay attention to your urine. It should be almost clear, with no odor.
- Depending on the temperature and your exertion, you should drink one large water bottle every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Try to drink at least one to two glasses of water before a ride.
- If your ride is more than 60 to 90 minutes, expect your blood sugar and electrolytes to diminish. Because this can lead to decreased performance, it is important to ingest a carbohydrate/electrolyte replacement drink.
Sources: Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, Minnesota Department of Transportation - Share the Road, League of American Bicyclists, AIDS/LifeCycle.
